UP best destination for investment, says Nitin Gadkari

Lucknow: Union Minister for Road, Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on Saturday termed Uttar Pradesh as the best destination for investment and having the most potential in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of self-reliant India.

Speaking at the session on e-mobility vehicles & future mobility on the second day of the three-day long 'Global Investors Summit', Gadkari said Uttar Pradesh has all four major requirements of water, power, transport and communication.

It also has the land and skilled manpower at reasonable rates and is well connected with good highways. I feel that logistic cost will also be less, Gadkari said.

Saying that e- mobility has vast potential, Gadkari asked the investors to invest in this sector so as to save ecology and the environment. "New jobs will be created, poverty will be eliminated and the wealth of the country will also increase. This will help India become 'Atmanibhar' and realise the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Praising CM Yogi Adityanath's vision for development which he said could change the picture of Uttar Pradesh, the union minister said that he often says that you can donate eyes but not a vision of progress.

"Lack of vision is a big problem, for removing poverty in Uttar Pradesh, employment will have to be created for which industry and capital investment has to come here. The dream of making UP a development-oriented state, the effort of Yogiji is on an appropriate highway and soon the sufferings of the people of Uttar Pradesh due to poverty, hunger and unemployment will surely go away," he said.

Terming the import of fuel as a big challenge, he said that Rs. 16 lakh crores of the economy are going out of the country in the import of petrol, diesel, and gas.

"From this, being an energy importing country, we now have to become an energy exporting country. This is the dream of our Prime Minister for a self-reliant India and if any state has the most potential to fulfil this dream, it is Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding that it will definitely be realised under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath.

Discussing in detail the possibilities of the agriculture sector, he said that if we make efforts from all points of view, then our farmers will not become a provider of food, but also a provider of energy.

Describing noise pollution, air pollution and water pollution as a big problem in the country, Gadkari said that the department of which he is the minister contributes 40 per cent to it.

Seeking the promotion of electric vehicles to remove pollution, he said that by 2030 there will be two crore electric vehicles in the country. He also stressed the need for the operation of electric buses in UP which are cost-effective.

Gadkari advised the state government to formulate a policy to meet the requirement of batteries for electric vehicles saying that this would generate large-scale employment and the state could become a hub of battery industries.    Recalling his attempt to start e-rickshaws, Gadkari quoted SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav as having said that Lohia (Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia) had said that he will not sit in a cycle rickshaw for the rest of my life because man pulls man.

Gadkari said that one crore people used to work as rickshaw pullers and 90 per cent of them are now driving e-rickshaws and earning at least Rs 1,000 a day. I am happy that the inhuman practice in this country has stopped.

UP CM Yogi who was also present said that the state was getting Gadkari's guidance regularly.